Scottish Executive

Caledonian MacBrayne

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits will accrue to the passengers of Caledonian MacBrayne from the tendering process in terms of improvement to the service reliability, fares and frequency and to the taxpayer in terms of value for money and reduced exposure to financial risk.

Nicol Stephen: I am committed to the maintenance of affordable sea links to Scotland's island and remote communities. Tendering protects the lifeline ferry services in the Clyde and Hebrides by ensuring that they are in line with EU rules and thereby allowing subsidy to continue. I intend to build on the success of current provision by prescribing in the invitation to tender that the existing CalMac fares, adjusted annually in line with inflation, will be set as the maximum. The existing timetables will also be prescribed as the minimum to be provided although there will be scope for innovation and improvement as bidders will be encouraged to suggest additional services over and above the minimum.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4161 by Nicol Stephen on 1 December 2003, on what date the proposed formal consultation on the concessionary fares commitment outlined in A Partnership for a Better Scotland and announced as commencing shortly will be launched and whether proposals for a nationally-recognised bus pass will be included in that consultation.

Nicol Stephen: The consultation paper on concessionary travel is currently being finalised and we intend to publish the document in April. The introduction of a nationally recognised bus pass will be considered as part of the consultation.

Council Tax

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether those Territorial Army (TA) soldiers who reside in Scotland and (a) live alone or (b) live with a spouse or partner are entitled to remission of liability for council tax for the period of their absence from home on duty abroad and what its position is on the matter and, if there is no such remission of liability, whether it will (i) make representations to the Ministry of Defence to meet the costs of such liability for council tax of TA soldiers on duty abroad and (ii) take any steps or measures to address this matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: Service personnel, both full time and reservists, who live in Scotland, either alone or with a partner are not entitled to remission of liability for council tax during their absence abroad on duty.

  A Ministry of Defence financial package of assistance exists for reservists. Payments are made to reservists whose military salary is less than their earnings in civilian life. The full difference is paid on proof of civilian pay if it is below the level set for the appropriate band. Reservists whose civilian salary exceeds their military pay may be awarded a "hardship" award to cover essential household spending.

Energy Efficiency

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set for the "Do a Little Change a Lot" campaign in respect of energy reduction.

Allan Wilson: The "Do a Little, Change a Lot" campaign is intended to support a range of energy efficiency, waste reduction and recycling initiatives by raising awareness and signposting to sources of advice and assistance such as the Energy Saving Trust. No specific targets for energy reduction have been set for the campaign.

Enterprise

Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to update A Smart, Successful Scotland .

Mr Jim Wallace: Yes. The Executive remains firmly committed to A Smart, Successful Scotland  (SSS) and the broad themes and priorities within it. However, we need to ensure that we have an up-to-date analysis of the challenges under each priority, the necessary levers in place to address them and a clear understanding of the strategy's potential contribution to cross cutting objectives. Over the coming weeks my department will meet with relevant stakeholders, discussions will take place as part of the business in Parliament conference and those with an interest will have the opportunity to input their views. Once this exercise is complete, the refreshed version of SSS is expected to be published in the autumn.

Equine Industry

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make, and what representatives it will send, to the National Equine Forum on 25 March 2004.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Executive will not be making any representations to, or be represented at, the National Equine Forum on 25 March 2004.

Fisheries

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in negotiating adjustments to the haddock management regime agreed at the December Fisheries Council.

Allan Wilson: I am pleased to announce a good result on the various haddock management adjustments we have been discussing with the Commission.

  The Commissioner gave his personal undertaking to meet our concerns, when Ben Bradshaw and I met him on 22 March. Yesterday, the Commission published its proposed amendments to the relevant regulation. Today, the Commission has explained the proposed changes in a Council working group in Brussels. These include some further adjustments, not yet included in yesterday's text, to reflect our discussions with the Commissioner. We hope that the new regulation will be adopted at a Council meeting on 26 April.

  We have been negotiating on four issues.

  The first issue was a change to the boundaries of the Cod Protection Area. We have secured a significant shift in those boundaries away from the Scottish coast. This increases the area over which our fishermen can fish for their increased haddock quota in home waters under the associated haddock special permit scheme.

  The second issue was an increase in the amount of haddock quota allowed to be caught inside the Cod Protection Area without a special permit. That figure has increased from 10,162 tonnes under the current regulation to 15,746 tonnes under the revised regulation. This is of particular help to those fishermen who require more access than most to the Cod Protection Area. It is, of course, less than what would normally have been caught in the Cod Protection Area. However, that reflects the conservation purpose of the regulation: to direct fishing activity out of such cod sensitive areas.

  The third issue was how to account for haddock caught prior to the coming into force of the new regulation. The Commission has confirmed that the new regulation will allow us to account for such fish according to where they were caught. So we will be able to count haddock caught outside the Cod Protection Area before that date as if taken with a special permit. That means we will not have to count it against the limited quota available without special permits, which was always intended to be available for activity inside the Cod Protection Area.

  The fourth issue was how to deal with bycatches of haddock in other fisheries such as the Nephrops fishery. The Commission has also confirmed that Nephrops fishermen will not be required to take haddock special permits in order to access the haddock quota they need for their bycatch. Instead, the Commission will further increase the non-permit quota from 15,746 to 16,246 tonnes. Fisheries Departments will then ensure that an appropriate amount is made available to nephrops fishermen, who will now be able to acquire additional haddock quota rather than discard their haddock bycatches.

  As a result of these successful negotiations, I have decided to re-open the non-permit fisheries that we have previously closed to the Fife, Orkney and North East of Scotland Fishermen's Producer Organisations. We will be issuing revised quota allocations accordingly in two phases. First, there will be a simple adjustment to allow fishing to continue immediately. Then there will be a further adjustment as soon as the regulation comes into force.

  We will also be making special permits with revised geographical co-ordinates available as soon as the new regulation comes into force. In the meantime, special permits remain available on the conditions stipulated in the existing regulation.

  Together, these adjustments should allow the industry to take full advantage of the increase in the UK haddock quota without compromising cod recovery.

Fisheries

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made regarding the application to the European Commission seeking the establishment of safeguard measures for the fish farming industry.

Allan Wilson: Following consultation with and feedback from member states, on our Safeguards application, the Commission formally opened an investigation on 6 March 2004 and is now engaged in gathering evidence. This process should be completed within nine months. The Commission, however, are treating the call for the implementation of provisional measures separately and have indicated that this part of the investigation will be complete within two to three months.

Genetically Modified Crops

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any research has been commissioned into GM fodder maize, particularly the Chardon LL variety, that may help understanding of the transfer of transgenic DNA into animal and human cells.

Allan Wilson: There have been a number of research studies which have looked at the potential for transfer of transgenic DNA into animal and human cells and these are cited in the GM Science Review panel report.

Genetically Modified Crops

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any representations have been made to Her Majesty's Government urging the UK to raise with the EU the possibility of Scotland being designated GM-free.

Allan Wilson: No. Directive 2001/18/EC requires GM products to be considered on a case-by-case basis. There is no scope within the terms of the directive to designate a particular geographical region GM-free. Whilst there would be a theoretical possibility of seeking a derogation from Directive 2001/01/EC by invoking Article 95(5) of the European Treaty, such action would require new scientific evidence relating to the protection of the environment or the working environment and the identification of a problem specific to Scotland arising from the adoption of the directive. None of our statutory advisers has identified such evidence.

Health Promotion

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3235 by Mr Andy Kerr on 31 October 2003, how much has been spent on advertising the healthyliving advice line in each month since November 2003.

Mr Andy Kerr: To reiterate my previous answers to similar questions the Healthy Living call centre information line is an integral, but only one, facet of a campaign designed to raise awareness, stimulate attitudinal and behavioural change as well as provide advice and information.

  The advertising campaign ceased in October 2003 and since then advertising expenditure to promote the advice line has been confined to sponsoring the Daily Record Vital Supplement column on healthy living.

  The advertising expenditure figures requested are detailed below

  


Nov 2003

Dec 2003

Jan 2004

Feb 2004

Mar 2004



0

£6,219

£3,554

£988

0

Housing

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to review the effectiveness of current measures to improve the availability of affordable housing and what new measures it is considering in the light of any such steps.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive's current review of affordable housing is examining both existing and new measures for improving availability of affordable housing. New measures under consideration include options for increasing the supply of land for affordable housing, other possible mechanisms through the planning system and the expansion of low cost home ownership.

National Health Service

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual cost to the NHS is of missed consultancy appointments.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

Public Private Partnerships

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any public private partnership or private finance initiative contracts have been challenged in the courts.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive is not aware of any challenges to Scottish PPP projects.

Salmon Farming

Mr Alasdair Morrison (Western Isles) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how well Scottish farmed salmon is doing in the market following the recent "food scare" and what is being done to improve the position.

Allan Wilson: I understand that following an initial down-turn in sales (as high as 20% in some markets) disruption is still evident, particularly in wet fish counter sales. Although most markets have experienced a slow but steady improvement in sales, movement of certain key products remains sluggish. Industry representatives are working with the Scottish Executive to identify how a grant under the FIFG could support activities aimed at stabilising and developing the farmed atlantic salmon market.

Smoking

Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to each NHS board was of smoking-related illnesses in each of the last five years.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information is not held centrally. The precise cost of smoking related disease is difficult to ascertain, since cost data collected centrally from the National Health Service in Scotland cannot be attributed to individual disease. However, the estimated cost to the NHS in Scotland is around £200 million each year on treating smoking related disease.

Speed Limits

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to local authorities regarding the operation of 20 mph zones around schools.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive wrote to local authorities on 26 September 2003 informing them of additional funding provision up to £27 million between 2003 and 2006 for 20 mph speed limits around schools and related safety projects. The letter referred to guidance, Circular No. 6/2001, on the implementation of 20 mph speed limits.

  Supplementary guidance on the introduction of 20 mph speed limits outside schools on roads with speed limits higher than 30 mph is provided in Circular No. 1/2004. The guidance, which was prepared in consultation with the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, was issued on 26 March. It also provides revised guidance on variable 20 mph speed limits. Copies of the Circulars are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. numbers 17781 and 31931).

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding will be provided to each of the new VisitScotland hubs in each of the next three years, broken down by source of funding; how such hubs will be constituted, and to whom they will be accountable.

Mr Frank McAveety: The level of VisitScotland funding for each of the hubs will be a matter for VisitScotland. I refer to my answer to S2W-7073 and S2W-7074 on 29 March 2004 on the other matters. All the answer to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .